Tooth Fairy

I found three shark teeth under my pillow.  Who knew that Border Collies believe in the Tooth Fairy?

I had a good look at Connor's teeth this evening and, near as I can tell without losing any fingers, all the baby teeth are gone.  To celebrate, and as an act of self-defense, I bought him a ridiculously expensive elk antler to polish his new fangs on.  He is thrilled with it.  So thrilled that the rotten little stinker sneaked it outside and has hidden it.  I guess he's just gonna have to find his own supply of antlers from now on, the Tooth Fairy is done.

Mighty Hunter

Who needs a cat when a you have a Great White (and black) shark on patrol?

Nosey

Our 12 Hour Winter Break

None of the hooves flying around here actually connected with anything other than air...

A Very Brief Reprieve

It warmed all the way up to 20 degrees this afternoon and no wind - just like a tropical paradise.  It was the first decent day we have had this year.  It's not going to last, I can hear the wind picking up again and, by morning, it will be back below 0, but it was nice while it lasted. 

First up, a good nap.

Next, I put a piece of fence wire across the end of the driveway and let the crew out to play on the snow-blowed paths.

Much running around and chaos ensued.  I took video, but my computer continues to crash every time I try to upload any video.

I had lots of help all day....

Connor was absolutely appalled.  A true-blue Border Collie, through and through.

Cabin Fever

The poor equines haven't been out of the barn in days.  It's been so cold with extremely high wind, there just isn't anywhere for them to go.  This afternoon, it "warmed up" to -5, but the wind finally died down and the sun came out.  I went out on my snowshoes and tried to break a trail for them out into the woods.  Even with snowshoes, I sank to my thighs.  I've never seen snow that is so hard to get around in.  Everybody ventured out onto the path I'd made even though it was hard going....

The path followed the packed trail they had made earlier and it was still belly deep.

I convinced Tessa do some trail breaking though she wasn't too keen on it. 

Emma took a step off the path and ended up in snow as tall as her.  She had a terrible time getting back onto the trail and I got really scared that she and Ramsey could absolutely get stuck out there.  We all gave up and headed back in.  I actually find myself wishing I had a snowmobile so I could make some good trails for all of us.  We are all feeling hemmed in.

It's one of the reasons I work so hard to keep the paths and the driveway snowblowed (which I have had to do every day this week), it's the only place Connor can run around and I hate the feeling of being trapped in.  Deep snow is really hard on dogs and very bad for their joints.  Not that that stops a five month old puppy.

At least someone thinks giant snowbanks are fun.

Red, White & Blue

Only 424 Steps

How to dig out in 424 grueling steps:

1. Call the guy I pay to plow the driveway in the forlorn hope that he somehow just forgot me.   No.  Blown-in snow is too dense and heavy to plow.  He tried and got no more than 3 feet.
2. Call the farm down the road and see if they could possibly come over with their big tractor and 7' wide snow blower.  No, the big tractor is broken (at least I'm not the only one).
3. Call the other guy guy down the road and see if he could come with his tractor and front-end loader to dig me out.  No.  That tractor is broken too.  It's an epidemic of useless, crappy, old machinery.
4. Acknowledge the truth that I knew all along - this problem is up to me, myself and I to fix.  We'd better stop squabbling and whining and get to work.
5. Drag in precious little Prima Dona snow blower so it can warm up by the fire cause noway, nohow is Precious gonna start without it's morning warmup.

   6.  After throwing more food to horse and donkeys who are jumping out of their skins from cold and boredom, start shoveling because noway, nohow is Precious gonna get through this without making a path for it first.

  
   7. Exercise extreme restraint and DO NOT have screaming, swearing fit at stir-crazy Border Collie puppy when he attacks the shovel for the 500th time.  Get him appropriate toy and resume.  Again.

Only a 1000 miles still to go.

 
   8. Rejoice in momentary feeling of triumph when we finally get to the end. 

   9. Squelch idiotic moment of triumph cause we aren't even remotely done yet.

   10.  Call work and tell them I am just as likely to get to the moon today as I am to get to work.

   11.  Finally get Precious started and doing some work.  Be sure to only feed it small bites of snow so that Precious doesn't choke.

   12 through 379.  Repeat, repeat, repeat....

   380.  Go in to house to use bathroom and warm up frozen hands.  Leave gloves on wood-stove to warm up.

   381.  Run to answer phone, hoping someone is calling about a miraculous tractor repair.  No, don't be silly.

   382.  Reach for glass to get a drink and smell something funny.

   383.  Rush downstairs and rescue gloves just before they burst into flames.

   384.  Throw more food at annoyed equines.  Try to get fingers into scorched, shrunken gloves that now smell awful.

   385 through 420.  Repeat steps 12 - 379 until Precious runs out of gas.

   421.  DO have screaming, swearing fit at gas can when it proves to be empty.

   422. Call RB and beg for more gas.  Thank you RB and Noblewoman.

   423.  Repeat steps 12 - 379 until the @#% &! job is done at around 8:00pm.

   424.  Clean barn, fill hay nets, appease annoyed equines, find appropriate toy for puppy.  Again.  

Too Much

This is my driveway.  Again.  It is somewhere around -10*F with 30 mph wind, the snow on the drive is 30 inches deep so far.  What do you think the chances are of my having it all cleared by the time I have to go to work?

Just too much.

The World's So Bright....

...I gotta wear shades.

At least it was bright yesterday.  Today, we're not talking about the weather.  Stay warm and happy Valentine's Day!